1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to display packaging, and more particularly to a blister display package which includes a cover defining a cavity for storing objects to be displayed and dispensed, and a re-closable door for enabling objects to be dispensed from the cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Display packages for small items such as candy, screws, razor blades etc. are well known in the art. Typically, the item to be displayed is packaged in a transparent or translucent plastic material which is adapted to be hung onto a display rack. Various types of packaging are known, some of which may be opened and re-closed, others may not be re-closed once opened.
One of the types of display packaging which may be opened and re-closed is the so-called blister or clam-shell display package. FIG. 1 shows a prior art blister display package 2 used for storing and dispensing razor blades which are stacked therein. The package includes a cover portion 4 and a bottom portion 6 connected by means of a hinge 8. The cover 4 and the bottom 6 cooperate to provide a cavity in which the razor blades are stored. In order to allow the dispenser package to be displayed, a cutout 10 is provided in each of the top cover 4 and the bottom cover 6 for mounting the display package on a display rack. The cover 4, bottom 6 and hinge 8 are constructed from a single piece of flat plastic or other material which is vacuum formed into the desired shape. The hinge 8 may also be scored to enable the cover 4 to fold over the bottom 6. The bottom 6 includes an upwardly extending ridge 12 which cooperates with a corresponding upwardly extending ridge 14 on the cover 4. These ridges are slightly undercut so that when the cover ridge 14 is pushed down onto the bottom ridge 12 the cover will be releasably secured to the bottom 6. If desired, the hinge 8 may be located in the middle of the cover 4 rather than at the end.
These types of packages are generally sold with a paper wrapper 16 glued over a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the package to prevent the bottom and top portions from being separated, i.e. opened, until a purchaser cuts the wrapper as shown. The paper wrapper 16 generally includes graphical information on the product contained in the package. Once the package is opened the torn wrapper remains on the package, which is unsightly. Moreover, since the entire cavity of the package is opened once the cover is lifted, this type of packaging is prone to having the content of the package fall out of the package, which is very inconvenient.
Obviously, it would be advantageous to have a blister display package in which the entire cavity were not exposed when the cover were opened. This would enable the items to be dispensed to be removed in a more controlled manner reducing the tendency of items in the container to fall out.
Other types of dispensers for razor blades or the like are known. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,783 discloses a utility blade dispenser in which the blades are loaded into a preferably transparent housing on a movable blade carrier. Blades are dispensed through a dispensing slot by means of a finger guide slot. A disposal chamber is formed in the dispenser as new blades are removed and the blade carrier is moved upward. Other dispensers of this type are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,650,433, 4,379,514, 4,789,080, 4,826,042 and D224,290.
These types of packages/dispensers are injection molded and are more expensive to manufacture than the clam-shell type package discussed above. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive alterative to the typical clam-shell display package in which only a portion of the storage cavity is exposed so that items in the package may be removed in a more controlled manner.